Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The American Cancer Society reports that about 494,000 people died from cancer in the United States in 1988. A common method of treatment for cancer is the use of chemotherapy. The use of chemotherapy has not been particularly successful in the treatment of solid tumors. Accordingly, there is a substantial need for new drugs which are effective in inhibiting the growth of such tumors.
It has now been found that a new group of sulfonimidamides have been effective in inhibiting the growth of solid tumors.
Certain diarylsulfonylureas have been reported as being active antitumor agents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,128 of Harper et al. (1989), Grindey et al., Proc. American Association of Cancer Research, vol. 27 page 277 (1986), and Howbert et al., Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 33, 2393 (1990). These references are all directed to sulfonylureas and there is no suggestion or disclosure of the sulfonimidamides of the instant invention.
Certain sulfonimidamides have been reported. Johnson et al., Journal of Organic Chemistry, 44, 2055 (1979) discloses the preparation of certain of such compounds. One such compound, N-butyl-N'-(p-toluenesulfonimidoyl)urea (compound 16), is disclosed as being inactive in an antidiabetic screen. There is no disclosure of the instant compounds of their use in inhibiting the growth of neoplasms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,506 of Hillemann (1987) discloses a large number of aryl and heteroaryl sulfonimidamides for use as herbicides and/or plant growth regulants. There is no suggestion or disclosure in this reference of the compounds of the instant invention.